Orange County jail guards fired after booze-fueled bus brawl

A screenshot from surveillance video showed a fight between… (Orange County Jail )

October 11, 2013|By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel

A fight between two off-duty Orange County jail guards on the way home from a charity event cost both of them their jobs Friday.

An investigation found that Lt. Michael Dean took a swing at Sgt. Donald Casey as they rode a Mears bus home from the Guns N' Hoses charity boxing match in Jacksonville April 13.

Both men had been drinking.

The argument began over comments Dean thought Casey made about or to Dean's girlfriend, the investigation found. She also is a corrections officer and was on the bus.

Dean, who investigators concluded initiated and escalated the conflict, tried to punch Casey. Video from the bus shows Casey blocking the punch.

Afterward, Casey threatened to stab Dean in the neck, witnesses said.

The bus driver threatened to call the police if one of the men didn't get on a second bus — both had been chartered by the Fraternal Order of Police for the trip — so Dean and his girlfriend got off after Casey refused to leave.

Once back at the jail parking lot, everyone on the first bus was ordered to stay put until a corporal escorted Dean and his girlfriend off the second bus.

Instead, Casey retrieved a gun from his car, tucked it into his waistband, then confronted Dean, the investigation showed. No shots were fired.

On May 23, Dean harassed Casey with two anonymous phone calls to try to intimidate him into not testifying about the incident, the investigation found.

Dean was fired for making verbal or physical threats, displaying intimidating actions of gestures, failing to live up to high ethical standards and interfering with an investigation.

He had been employed since Dec. 13, 1999.

Casey was fired for making verbal or physical threats, displaying intimidating actions or gestures, using abusive language and failing to uphold high ethical standards.

He began work Oct. 22, 2001.

The bus driver described the jail employees as "very drunk and very rude," said they trashed the bus and recommended not allowing them to charter again without a deposit.

The 14-year Mears veteran said they were "the most unprofessional people" he has ever encountered.